Mercedes 230E auto

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Wed 29 Oct 2003 22:28
Mercedes 230E auto - TommyH
Hoping for some advice......

I have the offer of the above car on a B (1985) plate. Has 180,000 miles but a full history. The car looks to be in good condition and seems to have been well looked after. The main worry is that the MOT runs out in December and I'm fearful of a big bill.

I can get the car for £100 and just love the idea of smoking it for a while.

If anyone has this car or knows a bit about them I would be very grateful of some advice.

Many thanks.
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Wed 29 Oct 2003 22:44
Mercedes 230E auto - smokie
£100 makes it disposable if it fails - go for it.
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Thu 30 Oct 2003 08:29
Mercedes 230E auto - Roger Jones
This is a half-million-mile car if it has been properly looked after, which appears to be the case. So why is its owner asking for only £100? What do you mean by "smoking it"?
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Thu 30 Oct 2003 09:30
Mercedes 230E auto - Aprilia
Depends whether it is a late W123 series or an early W124.
I suspect it is the former.

The W123's *do rust* and can look good from the outside but be rotten underneath - I suspect that is why it is only £100. If it were in good condition it would be worth a fair bit more.

On the other hand £100 is less than the price of a week's shopping for me!
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Thu 30 Oct 2003 12:16
Mercedes 230E auto - madf
Hmm if you want to break it and sell if for spares and it's in goodish condition, £100 is a BARGAIN...

IF it is very rusty (structurally) and it requires welding or a lot of work done - engine, gearbox , exhaust brakes etc.. and you want to drive it, it's a LIABILITY.


If it's half good (inspect it carefully with knowledgeable friend (see thread Nedd legal Help) buy it..
madf
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Thu 30 Oct 2003 12:52
Mercedes 230E auto - Clanger
How about taking it for an MoT now? You'd spend less on the test than filling the tank. I ran my late mother's 280ce of similar age for a while a year or two and was delighted with the solid, precision feel of the cockpit and the road presence it had even though I didn't take to the rock-hard driver's seat. Although it had passed each MoT without welding, it was very prone to misting the rear window and the right rear carpet was always damp. On investigation I found a hole you could put your arm through behind the carpet on the inner sill. And the timing chain rattled when cold, but that was the 6-cyl engine whereas the 230 has the 4-cyl engine I believe.

If you don't buy it, you'll always wonder if ...




Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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